After nearly four decades at the helm of an East Side institution, John Sidoff is selling Hooligan's Super Bar, 2017 E. North Ave. Sidoff, along with his co-owner and wife, Cindy, are selling the bar - effective Nov. 1 - to general manager Mark Buesing. The Sidoffs will continue to own Von Trier, 2235 N. Farwell Ave.

When John and Cindy Sidoff - who own Hooligan's - bought Von Trier, they promised to keep it much the same but with improvements. Stop in today and you'll see the same Von Trier you've always known but with a new sheen. A big part of the upgrade is the addition of small plates. And rather than half-step in, the Sidoffs hired Chef Christian Schroeder to work some magic from a small kitchen above the back room.

When John Sidoff and his wife, Cindy, bought East Side landmark Von Trier in late 2009, he left no doubt about his intentions. There would be no food, except for the traditional popcorn and maybe some happy hour nibbles imported from an outside source. That raised a timely question yesterday. Why was I attending a tasting of the bar's small plates menu, scheduled to be rolled out in early March?